Jar-closure.



A. H. KIPPENBERG.

JAR CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FIILED NOV.8.!916.

1,300,736, Patented Apr. 15, HHS).

WITNESSES IN VENTOR I 1' Z /L 494 40 Lf fg. A QQLUQ Q M Z/WM ran snares FATEN @FFTQ.

ALBERT'H. KIPPENBEBG, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

JAB-CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15,119.

Application filed November 8, 1916. Serial No. 130,152.

ing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Jar-Closures, of which the ,followin is a full, clear, and exact description, r'e erence being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through the jar and closure.

'Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section throggh the jar with the closure cap remov Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the top of the jar.

Fig. 4 is a horizonta l section, on the line IV-JV of Fig. 3, and

- Figs. 5 and 6 are vertical sections through the jar and cap, respectively, showing a modification.

The present invention relates to jar closures. The object of the invention is to produce a cheap and practical jar closure that will not leak, and which can be quickly applied and readily removed.

' Referring to the drawings, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, a jar '2, preferably a glass fruit jar, is provided wlth two beads 3 and 4 around lts neck at the mouth forming a rlng receiving groove 5 between such beads.

Above the beads is a substantially cylindrical asket. receiving face 6 which as shown in li igs. 1 to 4 is on the outside of the ar I mouth. This asket-receiving face may be formed on the inside of the mouth as shown at 6 in the modification shown in Fig. 5.

An. expanding ring 10 of resilient 'WiI'B is fitted in the groove 5, The bottom bead 3 of the cove '5 is cut away at 11 to leave space through which the handles 12 of the. wire ring ma project downwardl The opposite sideo the cove 5 is provi ed with a recess 13 into which fits an inwardly projecting bend 14 in the spring ring 10 for the purpose of centering the ring. A cap 20 is applied over the mouth of the jar as shown in Fig. 1. The cap 20 is preferably made of stamped metalor any other suitable and cheap material. This cap 20 has an outwardly flared bottom edge 21 which, when the cap is pressed down over the jar, engages and compresses the expansion ring 10. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the ring is held centered so that the outwardly bowed Slde portions of the ring extend out from the groove 5 an equal amount on both sides of the jar, and not too far for the flared bottom 21 of the cap to engage and press them in when the cap is pushed down into place. This centering is accomplished by the engagement of the ring and the jar at both the front and the back thereof so as to securely keep the ring from being displaced sidewise. The rin is held against sidewise displacement at tl ie back by means .of thenotch 13 and bend 14, and at the front by the engagement of the bent down handle portions 12 with the ends of the head 3. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, when the cap is removed the turned down handle portions 12 of the ring lie against the front ends of the bead at the sides of the cut away space 11. This'engagement of the handles with the ends of the bead prevents the front of the ring from being'displaced sidewise from its position as shown in Figs. 3 and {1 of the drawings. This front and back en agement accurately spaces the outwardly owed side portions of the ring so that when the cap is applied, the ring does not have to be manipulated to properly position it, but the cap can be simply pressed down on the jar, the ring being in position to be engaged by the flange 21 and automatically compressed. -While this is of aid in the rapid hand sealing of jars, it is particularly important in machine sealing where the caps are applied and pressed down by a machine.

As can readily be seen from the drawings,

if it were not. for the engagement of the 'jar and ring at both the front and back thereof, the ring could be displaced sidewise so that one bowed side portion would project too far out to fit within and be readily compressed by the flared edge of the cap when the cap is applied. An inwardly facin groove 22- is formed in the cap 20 to register with the groove 5 in the jar when the cap is in place. When the cap is pushed in place the expansion ring 10 expands and portions of it fit into the groove 22', while other portions fit in the groove 5, thus locking the cap firmly in place. Above the groove 22 is an inwardly formed bead 23 which forms a gasket-engaging face pressing against the outside of the rubber gasket 24.- when the cap-is in place, and thus forming a hermeticseal. While, as shown in 1, the gasket-receiving face on the cap fits on the outside of the gasket, the cap may be formed so that the gasket-receiving face of the cap is on the inside of the gasket as shown in Fig. 5, in which the top of the ca is indented to form an outwardly exten 'ng gasket-receiving face 23*, by means of which the gasket 24 is pressed out against the gasket-receiving face 6 on 10 the jar. By forming the gasket-receiving face on the jar substantially cylindrical so that the cap fits either around it or inside of it, a stopper efle'ct is obtained which has been found to be veryelfective in insuring a hermetic seal. Moreover, this stopper-like action tends to frictionally hold the cap in place so that under some conditions, as, for example, where the oods are not pasteurized, it may be possi le to omit the retaining ring 10 and rely upon the friction of the cylindrically disposed gasket to retain the cap in place.

The spring ring 10 is applied to the jar as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 1, the opposite portions of the ring projecting out of the groove 5, while the portions of the ring next to the handles 12 and the bend 14: fit tightly in the groove 5. When the cap is applied it is pressed down, the flanged or bell-mouthed portion 21 of the cap engaging the ring and pressing it in, until the cap is pressed into place where the groove 22 matches with the groove 5, whereupon the expansion ring will expand into place in the groove 22, positively locking the cap in place. The handles 12 will spring apart when this occurs, thus indicating to the operator that the cap is locked. When the cap is being pressed into place the gasket 24 is compressed betweenthe gasket-receiving faces on the jar and cap and forms a hermetic seal. When the cap is to be removed the handles 12 are pressed together, thus freeing the groove 22 of the expansion ring and permitting the removal of the cap. The cap is easily applied, it being necessary only to push the cap down in place to insure a perfect air-tight hermetic seal. The cap is also easily removed, it being necessary M only to compress the wire by means of the handles 12.

While the jar closure is intended primarily to be used by manufacturers, it nevertheless is well adapted for domestic use. Where the goods are put up under a vacuum, no external means are necessary to hold the .caps'in place while the vacuum sets, because as soon as the cap is pressed into'place the spring ring retains it'firmly in place while the contents cool and a vacuum is formed under the cap. Moreover, the spring ring 10 will retain the cap firmly in place, even if the vacuum is broken, and thus prevent goods spilling or leaking in transit. The as; jar mouth and neck are easily formed withthrough the cut away wall of the ar groove invention is not limited to the illustrated details of construction, but may be embodied inother constructions of jars and closures within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a jar having a cir cumferential groove at its mouth, a cap having a groove registering with the groove in the jar, and a resilient wire expansion ring received in both grooves for locking the cap on the jar, and having projecting handles external .to the jar for contracting the ring to permit the removal of the cap, and also at having an inwardly projecting bend engaging a recess in thejar so as to be kept from sideWise movement therein to assist in centering the ring, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a jar having a circumferential groove at its mouth which has its lower wall cut away at one place, a cap having an unbroken downwardly depending flange extending over the lower wall of the roove and having a groove reg- 9s istering wit the groove in the jar, and a resilient wire expansion ring received in both grooves for locking the cap on the jar and having handles downwardly projecting 106 below the'edge of the cap for contracting the ring to permit the removal of the cap, substantially as described...

3. The combination of a jar having a circumferential groove at its mouth, a cap having an oppositely facinggroove' registering Wltl'l the groove in the. jar, a resilient wire expansion" ring received in both grooves for lockin the ca on the jar, said ring being normal y hefd 1n the groove on the jar when the cap is removed and means engaging the ring for centerin it when the cap is removed, substantia y as described.

1. The combination of a jar having a. circumferential groove at its mouth, a cap having an oppositely facing groove, a resilient wire expansion ring received in both grooves for locking the cap on the jar, and means engaging the ring at both "the front and back thereof and reventing sidewise displacement thereof or centermg it when the cap is removed, said cap having a flared mouth for engaging and contracting the centered ring when the cap is pressed down on the jar, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a having an outwardly facing circumferential oove. and a substantially cylindrical et-receiving face between. the groove and the jar 1 0 mouth, a cap having an inwardly facing cooperating circumferential groove and a gasket-receiving face registering with the gasket-receiving face of the jar, a sealing gasket compressed between the gasket-receiving faces of the jar and cap, and a resilient wire expansion ring received in both grooves for locking the cap 'on the jar, said ring being normally held in the groove on the jar when the cap is removed, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a jar having a circumferential groove at its mouth, a cap having an oppositely facing groove, resilient wire expansion ring received in both grooves for, locking the cap on the jar, handles for contracting the ring on the front thereof, means engaging the handles to prevent sidewise displacement thereof when the cap is removed, an inwardly extending projecting carried by the ring and engaging a recess in the jarso as to be kept from sidewise displacement when the cap is removed, said ring when the cap is removed, resiliently engaging the jar at the front and back thereof ut' having its side portions extendin from the groove; substantially as, described Z. The combination of a ar having a circumferential groove at its mouth, a resilient wire expansion ring held in said groove and adapted to retain a ca in position on the 'jar, said ring resilient y pressing against the jar at the frontand back thereof and projecting from the groove at m the sides thereof, andmeans on the ring at the front and back where it is pressed against the jar for preventing bodily sidewise displacement thereof; substantially as described.

8. The combination of a jar having a cirumferential groove at its mouth, a-cap having an annular downwardly depending flange with an oppositely facing groove therein and-having .a', flared mouth, a resilient wire expansion ring received in both grooves for locking the cap on the jar, said ring, when the cap is removed, resiliently engaging the jar at the front and back thereof and having its side portions projecting from the groove so as to be engaged and contracted by the flared mouth of the cap when the cap is applied to the jar, and means-on the jar engaging the ring at the front and back thereof for preventing bodily sidewise displacement thereof, whereby the projecting side portions may always project substantially equal distances from the ar when the cap is removed; substantially as described.

"In testimony set my hand.

ALBERT H. kirrni nnne whereof, I have hereunto jar engaging the to a 

